Six troops loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed secessionist group in Yemen, were killed in a bomb attack on Monday.
The incident, which occurred in Abyan province, highlights the ongoing security challenges plaguing the war-torn nation.
The explosion ripped through a military vehicle as it traversed a mountainous region, according to Mohamed al-Naqib, a spokesman for the STC’s military wing, the Southern Armed Forces.
Eleven other troops were reportedly injured in the attack.
The STC controls a significant portion of southern Yemen but remains at odds with the internationally recognized government.
Although both sides are nominally allied against the Houthi rebels who control the north, deep internal divisions persist within Yemen.
Authorities blamed al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) for the attack.
Considered one of the most dangerous remaining branches of the terror network, AQAP has exploited the chaos of Yemen’s civil war to expand its presence in the southern Arabian Peninsula.
This attack underscores the complex and volatile security situation in Yemen.
Even as the government and STC collaborate against the Houthis, other extremist groups like AQAP utilize the lack of central authority to launch attacks and further destabilize the country.
